


What Lurks

by FlamingTrashcan



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Other, this was a birthday gift but im still posting it cuz it took me a day to make
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 14:44:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9329714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlamingTrashcan/pseuds/FlamingTrashcan
Summary: Psyker is watching Masi's lab for a day. He doesn't know why the computer keeps malfunctioning, or why that specimen gives him the creeps.





	

WARNING

WARNING

Add sighed with frustration as the red light began to blink again. He raised his head, glaring at the computer built into the wall. It showed a map of MasterMind’s laboratory, with one of the rooms highlighted red. A white “WARNING” was flashing over it. As he watched, the computer zoomed in on the room, revealing its internal structure, and lit up a specimen tank.

El, why’d he agreed to look after the place for the day? MasterMind’s lab was about as important to him as Elsword was. But then again, MasterMind had weaseled him out of specimen smuggling, and it was just for the day...

Still, he hated having debts. Lunatic Psyker stood, pushing the office chair out behind him, and tapped on the computer screen. “What do I do?” He asked curtly and folded his arms. The computer lit up, now revealing the piping leading into the tank. 

“Please repair: pipe A-14, pipe A-17, pipe A-24, pipe A-25...” The computer droned on, listing off various pipes in the facility. Add groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, dammit MasterMind, he wasn’t a repairman, he had far better things to do than examine specimens! 

“Alright, alright, got it. Mark the pipes and stop with that beeping!” He snapped. The computer lit up the pipes in need of repair and stopped broadcasting it’s warning, but still highlighted the area in “danger” colors. Add let out another frustrated sigh and marched out of the control room, looking for the labs. Masi kept a repair kit in nearly every room, so he wasn’t concerned about resources.

He entered one of the many hallways and glanced around, looking for the door which lead to the labs. After passing several doors marked with various versions of “CONTAINMENT”, he located the large door with the word “LABORATORY” written next to it. Lunatic Psyker stopped and stared into the dark room. Odd, he didn’t remember opening it.

Masi probably left it open for him, then. He didn’t leave Psyker with any codes or keycards, and the doors required the use of a touchpad in order to open. Add shrugged it off and creeped in, glancing around. 

The lab was a single huge room, big enough to hold the entire search party with four feet between them. Lunatic Psyker was amazed at how vast it was; not only was it wide, but it was also long and high. The dark ceiling seemed so far away, and at the end of the room, he couldn’t even make out the huge containment tank. A shudder ran down his spine; this place was so huge, and all for one creature?

Add quashed the fear growing in his chest. Why was he scared? He had Dynamo and his Nasod Armor. The Psyker was literally known for being ruthless and dangerous, no way was he about to be scared by some...whatever it was. 

The pipes he was supposed to fix were the only lights in the room. They ran along the walls and ceiling, red light glowing on painted white stone. Add walked over to the nearest one and considered it. The computer hadn’t even said how he was supposed to fix it. He examined it for damage and found none at all. Why would it need repair? 

Add left it and checked the next and the next, all with the same result. None of the pipes were damaged. He scratched his head. Maybe the problem wasn’t at the edges, but at the source? His gaze moved from the copper pipe on the wall to the dark, heart shaped tank at the end of the room. Even from here, he felt weary, like he was staring into the demon portal, or embracing a shard of Dark El. It felt...evil.

Add swallowed any fear he felt and strode forward confidently. It was just a tank with a few malfunctioning(?) pipes. There was no need to fear it.

Yet even those words were false comfort as he approached. The pipes ran into the tank from all sides, making it look like some kind of deformed octopus. A single, round porthole had been built into the center of it. In the darkness, Add couldn’t make out whatever was inside of it.

He growled and commanded Dynamo to make a light. No way would he find the source in this darkness. His dynamos spun, electricity forming on the ends of them, and then they gathered around his hand and illuminated a beam of light from it. He raised it to the porthole.

It was all black. Add raised an eyebrow. Was it just empty? Where had the thing gone?

As if answering his question, a round, purple iris suddenly fell into view. All around it and within it was blackness. Add stepped back as the eye focused on him, fear stabbing into his chest.

The creature blinked, then closed its eye. Just like that, the terror in Add dissipated, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was probably napping and he’d just disturbed it.

Still...why’d he felt paralyzed with fear if it was so harmless?

He checked the pipes a bit anxiously, finding nothing. Dammit, why was the computer freaking out then? He growled with frustration and clenched one of his fists, almost eager to punch something, but stopped. Better not to make a noise and wake...whatever that was. Add turned away from the glowing pipes and uneasily headed towards the light streaming from the hall.

The entire time, a dark eye remained focused on him.

~

The rest of the day was a repetitive headache. The computer only got louder, the warnings more and more frequent, and Psyker had long grown sick of the color red. No matter what he did, he couldn’t make it stop. There were no problems to be fixed, yet the computer still screamed for repair. The specimen was entirely unmoving and contained, but the computer was registering it as active and free. After enduring four hours of it, Add could no longer lower his head and tinker with his dynamo.

He destroyed the computer in a fit of rage. As his fist broke through the glass, cutting himself and sending bits flying, he didn’t register the true consequences of his spontaneous decision. MasterMind would be pissed, but that was it; a computer was an easy fix.

Psyker yanked his bloodied fist out of the computer, watching a few sparks fly out. The glass had cut straight through his hand; shit, why’d he done that? He growled and clenched it, glancing around for a medical kit. 

Nothing. MasterMind had to have one somewhere, since lab accidents were common; he’d probably have one on hand in the laboratory. Add shook his bloody hand away from himself to avoid spattering any crimson fluid on his clothes, then headed for the hallway. 

The red alarm lights were going wild now, but at least their sound was gone. His headache was already fading. Add rubbed at his temple with his clean hand and entered the lab containing the specimen. 

A cold fear shook him, but he ignored it. The specimen was CONTAINED. It probably just exuded an aura of fear or something. That would explain the anxious feeling in his gut. MasterMind wasn’t beyond biological weapons; he’d do anything for strength. Since he would be returning soon, Psyker figured he’d ask him then.

The red alarm lights in the lab were spinning as well, sending red beams of light stretching across the floor and ceiling. Add rolled his eyes and looked to the walls. There had to be a med kit somewhere in here--ah, there. He saw one by the specimen tank, one he hadn’t noticed before. Probably because the room had no lighting. The specimen must be sensitive to light.

Add walked over to it and forced it open. He found a bandage inside and tore the plastic bag off of it, then removed his worthless torn glove. After wrapping it around his damaged hand, he picked up the glove, then reconsidered. MasterMind’s glitchy software made him do it anyways, so why should he clean up the mess? Psyker scoffed and threw it back on the ground.

Another burst of fear, and that anxiety suddenly caused him to feel sick. Psyker let out a low snarl and glared around, looking for any signs of life and finding none. Of course. He was just anxious that he was so near to that specimen pod. What did Masi even intend to do with it? 

He stalked over to it, glancing into the circular window again. Blackness and nothing but blackness. Add watched it for a moment, waiting for that eye again, but nothing happened. Why was the computer freaking out so much over it?

He contemplated this for a moment before he felt the hairs on his neck raising. Add turned around and scanned the dark room, again finding nothing. He turned back to the porthole and this time stepped forward to allow himself a better look in.

A small splash echoed through the room. Add froze, magenta eyes darting downwards to stare at the puddle beneath his feet, dripping out of the containment tank. So it was leaking…

Unconsciously, he raised a hand to the door. Gloved fingers tapped the metal lightly, feeling for the handle on it’s surface. A small, barely noticeable raised bit glanced his fingers. He froze for a moment longer, an incredulous feeling washing over him, before he slowly pulled it open. 

Warm fluid poured out over him in a wave. Add’s grip on the door handle tightened as it stained his clothes and filled the air with a chemical scent. He stood there, dazed, as the last of it dripped out in a steady waterfall. 

There was nothing inside. He poked his head in and scanned it to find it was empty. Liquid poured out from every pipe opening, coating the walls in a toxic smelling fluid. A few scratches lined the walls in specific areas, but besides that, there was no trace of any living creature.

A fit of trembling overtook him. It wasn’t contained. It was out, somewhere in here with him. For the first time in years, Add felt terrified. His dynamo’s swirled into odd shapes following his emotions, lighting themselves up with little bursts of electricity. 

He couldn’t panic. If he panicked, it’d find him. There was no need to be afraid. He was strong, and no biological weapon could defeat him. Add forced himself to breathe in chemically air and focus. He turned and focused on the white light streaming in from the hall. Although safety wasn’t guaranteed, at least he could see his enemy out there. 

Add bolted for the door, refusing to glance at the open pod behind him. His heart slammed in his chest, and the world seemed to blur. Within seconds, he was out, and then he was in the control room, and then he was lost in the halls, looking for the exit as desperately as he could.

And when he first saw it, he didn’t even register what it was. Now that Add was in its true presence, fear swirled in his mind, blurring his thoughts, preventing him from thinking about much at all. It stood there, in the hallway, head raised at an awkward angle, and stared straight him. The purple irises were the only part he could make out from that black face. 

It was vaguely humanoid, but far too thin. It’s tar-like flesh seemed to be sliding off with every second, splattering to the floor and forming a thick puddle beneath it. The only part of it’s sludgy form that wasn’t black was where hair should’ve been. Instead, it was a horrendously dark purple.

From it’s back, four tentacle with flat, circular ends extended, pointing themselves in Add’s direction. He backed away, forgetting all about his dynamos. Just that one movement triggered it, and the thing leaped. 

Psyker didn’t even get a moment to scream. The lanky thing was already on him, black goo dripping all over him and coating his clothes. Add tried to jolt up, but the thing pushed him down. He raised his fist and swung at its head, colliding with something surprisingly solid. One of its gooey hands grabbed his wrist, and suddenly, he couldn’t feel it anymore. 

The creature forced his body down, lowering its head to his face. Goo dripped down onto him as it stared him the eyes. How odd; this creature’s eyes were the same color as his. Add’s own eyes widened in surprise.

The creature opened its mouth, purple slime falling out, and suddenly Add’s own mouth tasted vile. The artificial dryness of of styrofoam, the bitter taste of chemicals, the faint copperish slosh of blood, the unfamiliar burn of something bitter…

His vision turned black, but he didn’t lose consciousness. Add felt...odd. He could feel himself moving, but simultaneously, his physical body wasn’t. Although he couldn’t face it, he couldn’t deny it either: his mind was moving, his soul was moving, his being…

It cleared. His sight was blurry and dim, but it returned. In that moment, he realized he wasn’t breathing, and he gulped down air thirstily. His lungs felt heavy, filled to the brim with liquid. Add coughed, attempting to remove it, and failed. It was uncomfortable, but he couldn’t do much about it, so instead he focused on just breathing. 

Why was his vision so dim? Add glanced around, wondering if the creature had knocked the lights out. Oh El, the creature! Where had it gone?! 

His head swivelled back and forth as he searched for it. The black mass was nowhere to be seen. Add felt a bit anxious as he stood.

He immediately fell back down. His legs were unstable, like liquid wrapped up in cheap plastic. He tried to move them and found them inane. What had happened? Had the creature done something to him?

 

The answer rose in front of him. Even through his blurred vision, Psyker could see...himself. It was his body, standing in front of him, checking out it’s own hands and arms, examining itself, feeling itself…

It focused on him and smiled cruelly. Add shrunk back, frightened of what he saw. It loomed over him, eyes glimmering triumphantly.

“At last…” It was his own voice. Add shivered. If he was looking at himself, then what was he? He looked down at his hands, fears coming true as he realized they were black and gooey, linked by thick, jelly-like strands. 

He tried to cry out, but the only sound created was a burbling choke. His gaze darted between himself and these hands, they weren’t his own this wasn’t him how had this happened how could it?

His body walked over and reached down, warm hands grabbing onto his thin shoulders. Add let out a gurgle of surprise and attempted to struggle, but his body suddenly felt heavy. His struggles stopped themselves. All the while, his body was smiling. 

“Thank you, human,” it sneered. “You’ve made my escape so much easier.”

Add’s eyes widened, but before he could react his body threw him over it’s shoulder. His eyes fell upon the hallway leading to the lab behind it, and then it turned around and he was facing the hallway leading to the exit. Except...he was being carried away from it. Add let out a pathetic, choked cry and reached for it, then attempted to slither off his body. Neither worked. He watched as freedom walked away from him.

In no time at all, it carried him back to the lab. He watched the artificial light of safety and hope shrink as darkness chewed at it. Dim red light beams still lit up the pipes on the walls. Each one of them was glowing now, and as he passed those lights he wondered what truly had been wrong with them.

All of sudden, he was lifted up and thrown onto something hard. Cold fluid splashed over him. Add let out a cry of pain and looked up, facing his body. It was still smiling, eyes lit up eagerly. 

“Really, human, thank you. You’ve eased my pain so much with your one deed.” 

He had no time to react, for the moment it finished speaking it slammed the door shut. Add cried out and tried to lunge for it, but his body refused to obey. Lunatic Psyker’s smile shone in through the small circle of glass leading to the outside, and then his magneta eyes stared in. 

He winked, and then he was gone. Add shivered and attempted to curl in on himself. MasterMind...MasterMind would find out, and then he’d let him out. Yeah, MasterMind was (although he hated to admit it) smarter than he was. Of course he’d find out. 

The fluid beneath him suddenly felt a bit warmer. Add glanced around and realized the pipes were still pumping fluid in, albeit at a trickling pace. It was already getting warmer, though, and it was so dark…

Without even thinking about it, his consciousness slipped away.

~

“So you’re entirely sure nothing happened?”

“Yes. It was so boring I punched a computer for entertainment.”

 

MasterMind raised an eyebrow judgmentally. “A computer you’re going to fix.”

Esper shrugged, holding his new hands out to both sides. “Of course. It’s only fair that I repair what I broke, isn’t it, MasterMind?”

MasterMind groaned and held a hand to his forehead. “Your speech is giving me a headache. Just fix it so I can return to my work.”

And risk you finding out about the alarm? Never.

“Right away. Where’s the tools?”

MasterMind eyes him for a moment. “Don’t you know how to repair these with just your dynamos?”

Of course not.

Esper smiles. “I’m out of practice. Mind showing me?”

MasterMind narrowed his eyes. “Just get out. Consider your debt repaid.”

 

His smile widens. “Right. Bye, MasterMind.”

 

MasterMind waved a hand at him dismissively as he sat in the office chair, pulling the large computer down onto his desk and beginning to work on it. Esper watched him for a moment before turning away and heading for the hall. At last, freedom was his.

As he walked out the doors in his new body, he was already planning for the future. He’d need to find a new one soon--if he didn’t, the black tubes in his back would sprout out, and then this flesh would be broken down and his body would return to that corrupted form. He didn’t need a panic happening again. Never again would he be kept as an experiment, never again would he view the world through a small porthole.

And if some sad copy of himself had to suffer for it, well, who cared? Certainly not MasterMind.

The air was cool on his pale flesh and smelled so fresh, so free of chemicals. The ground beneath his feet was real terrain, not tile. And the light on him was pale moonlight, not stinging artificial light from a bulb.

Esper, unable to contain it anymore, threw his head back and laughed.


End file.
